2023 Hyundai Kona Electrical spied

The present Hyundai Kona Electrical isn’t one of the crucial spacious EVs at its value level, however its alternative seems to be set to deal with that.

The following-generation Kona Electric has been spied testing, following its petrol and hybrid counterparts.

Your complete Kona vary is anticipated to be revealed in 2023, and the small SUV is anticipated to develop in dimension.

Codenamed SX2, the second-generation Kona – although nonetheless closely camouflaged – seems to be to be bigger than the present automobile and nearer to its company cousin, the Kia Seltos, in exterior dimensions.

That might assist give some extra respiration room to smaller Hyundai SUVs just like the European-market, i20-based Bayon in Europe and the Venue in markets like Australia and North America.

The present Kona measures between 4205mm and 4215mm lengthy, 1800mm large and 1550-1560mm tall on a 2600mm wheelbase.

That’s round 160-200mm shorter than a Kia Niro or Seltos.

It’s unclear whether or not there might be any powertrain modifications for the Kona Electrical.

The present mannequin is obtainable in both Normal Vary or Prolonged Vary variants in Australia, with the previous utilizing a 39.2kWh battery pack and an electrical motor with 100kW of energy and 395Nm of torque and the latter upgrading to a 64kWh battery and 150kW/395Nm electrical motor.

Its in-house rival, the brand new second-generation Kia Niro, includes a 64.8kWh battery and 150kW of energy, although its electrical motor has seen a big drop in torque to 255Nm.

Though it’s partially lined, we all know the brand new Kona will obtain an evolution of the present mannequin’s break up headlight design with the principle headlight unit mounted decrease on the entrance fascia than the daytime working lights.

The primary-generation Kona, which debuted regionally in 2017, was the primary Hyundai car to function the break up headlight design. This design factor has since rolled out to different Hyundai choices such because the Staria, Palisade, Santa Fe, Tucson and Venue.

Our spy photographers recently snapped just a few inside photographs of a special Kona prototype, revealing a dashboard that seems to take inspiration from the Ioniq 5.

Rumours have urged the brand new Kona won’t solely change the present automobile, but additionally the i30 hatchback in some markets.

Hyundai has already discontinued the i30 hatchback in South Korea and the U.S. attributable to poor gross sales. Its newer sedan counterpart, often known as the Elantra and Avante, continues to be on sale in each of those markets.

The Kona Electrical is anticipated to stay Hyundai’s entry-level EV in the interim, although Hyundai Motor Europe’s advertising chief Andreas-Christoph Hofmann advised Automotive News Europe final month the corporate is engaged on an EV metropolis automobile.

He didn’t verify when such a mannequin would launch, however acknowledged the goal value of an EV metropolis automobile is €20,000 (A$29,243).

Such a mannequin would sort out the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming MEB Entry triplets, together with the manufacturing model of the Cupra UrbanRebel.

The model’s styling head, Simon Loasby, additionally confirmed to CarExpert the corporate is working on new small EVs.

“After all” they’re coming, based on Mr Loasby. “Watch this house,” he mentioned.

“We’re engaged on a full bandwidth of Ioniq fashions which can embody Ioniq 3 and Ioniq 4, so long as we will adhere to the three design pillars.”

These design pillars are: “the largest wheelbase in its section, sustainability, and our Parametric Pixels that kind variations of our signature design motif for our Ioniq vary”.

All beforehand introduced Ioniq-branded fashions differ from the Kona Electrical in that includes the devoted E-GMP electrical car structure, whereas the Kona and discontinued Hyundai Ioniq (complicated we all know – Ed) are primarily based on combustion-powered automobiles.

The Kona Electrical was Australia’s second best-selling EV within the first half of 2022 with 570 gross sales, benefiting from a scarcity of provide for the MG ZS EV.

That put it behind the all-conquering Tesla Model 3 (4653 gross sales) however forward of rivals just like the Nissan Leaf (226 gross sales), Kia Niro EV (127 gross sales) and Hyundai’s personal Ioniq Electric hatchback (385 gross sales).

The broader Kona vary, to the tip of July, is sitting in third place in gross sales within the small SUV section at 7572 items.

That places it behind solely the Mazda CX-30 (9520 gross sales) and MG ZS (11,609 gross sales).

MORE: Everything Hyundai Kona